QUARANTINE
by Neil Davies1
Summary: When HMS Forthright picks up something the navy thinks is space junk, the Doctor and Jo Grant are plunged into a deadly nightmare against a sinister alien menace.


**QUARANTINE**

**Jo's stomach landed about six seconds after she did. She'd never been a fan of helicopters and although the RAF Sea King wasn't one of those awful bubble things it still shook, rattled and groaned as though about to rend itself apart at any moment.**

**Unbuckling herself she tried to stand up and promptly sat down again her legs had turned to jelly. It was only when a strong, reassuring pair of arms lifted her up and held her that she could manage to put one foot in front of the other.**

**"You'll soon find your sea legs Jo," the plumy voice was also reassuringly familiar like a warm balm on sore muscles. Even so she almost slipped going down the metal steps of the chopper onto the deck of the ship.**

**A cold blast of sea spray hit her at once, it was like a slap in the face and she felt winded for a moment.**

**She let her gaze drift out to sea but so high were the waves crashing around them that she felt instantly queasy again; best to focus on the deck perhaps.**

**"Bracing weather isn't it," the man beside her didn't seem remotely bothered by their hasty flight from UNIT HQ; then again nothing seemed to dent that steely confidence or dim the glint in his eye.**

**A line of men in uniform raised right hands and mouths and delivered a piercing shriek, it was something she recalled from her last visit to a Royal Navy vessel and look how that turned out. Shuddering inside her many layers she waited for them to finish before saying.**

**"I can't believe how big the deck is."**

**"Yes well this is an aircraft carrier Jo not a battleship like that last tug we were on, ah here we go looks like the brass have arrived."**

**The tall stuff backed man wasn't much older than her by the looks of him but he moved with a natural confidence of someone used to authority. Lots of pips she noticed and a nice flourish on his cap, was he the captain?**

**"First Officer Penrose, nice to meet you both," the smile was cordial but a little frosty; Jo let him see their UNIT passes which he studied intently for a moment.**

**"Jo Grant and Dr Smith," an eyebrow arched at that last one; something of a polite fiction, then again the Brig could hardly tell these people the truth.**

**"I understand," said the Doctor quickly, "That you've fished something rather interesting from the waters just off Skye."**

**Handing the passes back Penrose kept his doubts to himself, no doubt he'd been well briefed by his superiors to offer any and all assistance.**

**"Yes that's right," he agreed turning to amble away, "At first we thought it was the usual Russian space junk, they're always ending up in our waters for some reason but this chap is a bit different."**

**Reaching a metal door with an electronic keypad he punched some buttons, embarrassingly nothing happened so he tried again, it was the first sign of inefficiency Jo had noticed.**

**"Problem," she asked?**

**"Damn power cuts," said Penrose, "Started about two hours ago."**

**The Doctor and Jo swapped a look both thinking the same thing, "About the time you brought your passenger onboard," the Doctor suggested lightly.**

**The naval man blinked like this hadn't occurred to him, "what, oh yes roughly, must be a coincidence."**

**If Jo had a pound for every authority figure who'd said this to her recently she'd be very rich. On his third attempt Penrose opened the door although his cheeks were pink with embarrassment.**

**He led the way down a very narrow very steep metal stairwell that gave Jo vertigo, it seemed to go on forever right down into the very bowels of the ship or was it the bilge, she was never sure.**

**She was soon walking along a metal corridor with gun metal grey walls and red strip lights, some of these flickered.**

**"I'm told," Said Penrose, "That you people are experts in things that fall from the skies."**

**Suppressing a grin Jo could see the Doctor was having trouble keeping a straight face.**

**"You could say that," he remarked casually throwing her a loaded look.**

**"Well whatever this thing is," said the first officer, "It's unlike anything I'm familiar with," he paused with a frown, "damn," ahead was a bulkhead door thick and chunky with a locking wheel and another electronic keypad.**

**"Another problem," Jo regretted the words the moment they were out of her mouth.**

**"Able seaman Johnson is supposed to be on guard duty," sounding peevish Penrose looked about.**

**"Toilet break," she offered?**

**"I told him not to leave his post," Penrose was clearly a man who played it strictly by the book, "He'll get a roasting for this."**

**Rather him than me Jo thought wondering where the young sailor could be and if he knew what hot water he was in?**

**Again the keypad resisted Penrose's best attempts so the Doctor stepped in, "Allow me old man," brandishing the sonic he gave the pad a burst and a red light was replaced by a green one. The big heavy door gave a clunk, the wheel turned and bolts shot back.**

**Amazed and impressed Penrose gasped, "Well I'm damned," he eyed the sonic like it where a magic wand, "What is that thing?"**

**"Classified," the Doctor whispered with a slight smile, "strictly for experts in things that fall from the skies."**

**Touché thought Jo as the Doctor tugged the big door inwards and stood courteous aside to allow Penrose to precede them which he did only t find another problem.**

**"Where is Mitchell," he asked looking around.**

**"Another missing sailor," Jo enquired thinking that things were getting creepy. Just then the bar lights above gave a fizz and went out plunging them into darkness.**

**Her hand shot out to find the Doctor's sleeve just as emergency lighting came on casting them all in a sinister scarlet glow, the Doctor resembled nothing if not a freaky Halloween mask with his shock of white curls and thin angular face.**

**Mind you she wouldn't like to be down here without him, Penrose looked a bit lost, "damn queer two seamen going off duty without telling me, they're usually so reliable, discipline is strict on HMS Forthright."**

**Ahead were some sheets of plastic hanging from the ceiling big things that completely obscured what lay beyond, they were like the sheets used by builders to keep members of the public away and prevent too much dust.**

**"This is cargo bay two," Penrose pulled himself together, "It's our biggest and deeper than the others, we decided to keep our find isolated."**

**That made sense to her and she hugged herself as a sudden chill ate into her flesh that had nothing to do with weather this time or a fear of heights.**

**"Every time I come down here," said the posh officer, "I feel like I'm being watched."**

**That was how she felt too watched and observed by something, there was an odd buzz at the back of her head and her ears kept popping.**

**"I know what you mean Mr Penrose, there's a strange atmosphere down here."**

**She half expected the Doctor to scoff at this but for once his expression was thoughtful even pensive.**

**The naval man eased a large sheet aside and they passed through into the main cargo bay itself; that was when Jo saw it the object fished from the sea. No, she thought, it isn't Russian space junk.**

**Perfectly smooth and round the thing was egg shaped and about three times the size of the chopper she'd arrived in with a silver polished hull not unlike glass except for one thing – she couldn't see her reflection or any reflections in it.**

**One look at the Doctor was enough to gauge his fascination, features rapt and eyes he approached the clearly alien vehicle rubbed his neck, "My word how impressive," he said almost too himself.**

**"No scratches, rust or barnacles," said Penrose with a frown and Jo saw him finger his forehead like he was in pain, her skull felt tight too and the tingling had expended around the sides of her head to her eyes.**

**"How did you get it down here," the Doctor was asking?**

**"We used a winch and it took all the power we had to hoist it clear of the water, two lines snapped."**

**Heavy then thought Jo what could it contain, no doubt it was alien she reasoned, "I can't see any windows or a way in Doctor."**

**He began to circle the object, "You're right Jo it looks cast solid."**

**"I thought that," said their host and he kept his distance, "No joins or rivets, it's like satellite I've ever seen."**

**"Oh this is no satellite Mr Penrose; it's a space pod of some kind."**

**Bewildered Penrose clearly didn't understand, he was out of his depth then again Jo felt intimidated herself, "Do you recognise the design," she asked the Doctor.**

**Instead of answering he extended a gloved hand towards the pod as if about to touch it but at the last moment seemed to change his mind, "Have any of your men been near this thing Mr Penrose," he enquired?**

**"No, I ordered them to keep away from it as per UNIT's radio instructions."**

**With a single nod the Doctor disappeared around the far side for a moment, "Come and look at this Jo," his voice drifted back with a curious echo. She had to force herself to move forwards, suddenly reluctant.**

**She found her colleague gazing at something and squinted at a design, some sort of symbol one vertical line, three smaller horizontal lines bisecting it, a ring around the whole thing and a triangle encompassing the entire pattern.**

**"Planet of origin," she ventured, his reaction was to take out his sonic, give its base a tug and run the tip over the design.**

**"I'm uploading this to the central console of the TARDIS; there might be some data in the time lord files."**

**"I didn't think you had access to that stuff," she said recalling him telling her his memories had been edited, some blocked entirely as a kind of exile.**

**"Just the material to do with space-time travel Jo," he said through gritted teeth, it was clearly still a painful subject and she chose not to pry.**

**"I didn't know the sonic was linked to your ship," she remarked thinking of that odd blue police box in the corner of the UNIT lab.**

**His good humour seemed to return, "All time lord technology is linked Jo," sonic down he rubbed his chin, "You know this mark reminds me of something."**

**It meant nothing to her but then why should it, "Some kind of user ID," she volunteered but his frown was back this time joined by a slight shake of the head.**

**"Not exactly," he whispered, "a warning."**

**Not liking the sound of this she took an involuntary step backwards, thinking of the power cuts and missing men, "Doctor, what do you think happened to those two sailors?"**

**It was then that the ceiling lights flickered violently, one popping out altogether with a sharp crack, "It's this pod isn't it," she said, "Affecting the electric supply?"**

**"Drawing it off somehow," he agreed, "How's your head by the way?"**

**Thick and sluggish, her temples throbbing so much she had to blink her eyes several times, "Like it's full of cotton wool."**

**Sonic adjusted again he ran it over her, "I'll see if I can set up an interference field on the psionic plane."**

**Psionic sounded like psychic to her, "So this thing is draining us to," she reasoned.**

**"Yes Jo it's highly dangerous and I'm beginning to wonder if it crashed at all."**

**She recalled the Brig mentioning that the pod had altered its course twice and lost speed before coming down like someone was in charge.**

**"Could it have a pilot do you think or a crew," could there be alien beings alive inside the thing even now listening to them or watching them; it was an eerie thought?**

**"How do you feel now," he asked and she blinked the pressure having gone from her forehead and the iron band around her skull no longer noticeable.**

**"Much better thanks, maybe we should check on Penrose; he looked in a bad way earlier."**

**Nodding he led her around the other side of the pod and Jo saw something she hadn't noticed before, a set of double slide doors built into the bulkhead floor, beside them in a red warning neons was a sign.**

**DANGER THESE DOORS OPEN TO THE SEA, and beside this was a keypad on a raised vertical pole, it was about twice the width of a trim phone.**

**"Doctor, what are those for?"**

**Curiously he made his way over, "Well Jo if they want to eject anything into the sea they have to flood the cargo bay first to equalise the pressure," worrying his chin he studied the keypad, from his faraway look she could tell he had the germ of an idea.**

**Then they heard it; Penrose's cry of agony. They found him on all fours face twisted in agony and tears streaming down his cheeks, all sense of dignity gone.**

**Swiftly the Doctor ran his sonic over the man's scalp and face, the soft blue light pulsing slightly and the note a low flute. Gradually Penrose sat back on his heels features clearing, "thanks," he managed to grunt, "Don't know what came over me, I don't normally get headaches."**

**Jo frowned, "Its telepathy isn't it Doctor?"**

**From his look she could tell she was right, something in that pod was mentally reaching out and they seemed to be getting stronger.**

**"Mr Penrose," voice sharp with authority and purpose the Doctor helped the man back to his feet, "I need you to return to your bridge, tell the captain to alter course."**

**"Back to port you mean," said the man hopefully but from the cloud that covered the time lord's face it was clear he meant something totally different.**

**"Good heavens no, that's the worst thing you could do, take us further out to sea. That pod must have no access to the national grid or other human minds."**

**Considering this Penrose blinked in surprise, "We may need to get the admiralty's permission to do that."**

**Jo could see the Doctor's eyes flash with anger, he hated red tape so she spoke swiftly, "Explain that it's an emergency, that we at UNIT have detected a major threat to security."**

**Nodding, impressed, Penrose ambled away and Jo turned, "I didn't just tell a lie then did I?"**

**But the Doctor was turning his sonic over as its base gave a twittering sound, on the base was a tiny screen and flashing across this were various alien symbols.**

**He smiled, "Good old TARDIS, I knew she'd come through," but the smile soon faded as he read the incoming data, "Oh dear me," he muttered, "This isn't good news Jo."**

**"You know what that symbol means?"**

**His look was anguished, "That thing behind us a quarantine pod, it was placed in perpetual orbit never to make planet-fall, in other words it shouldn't be here."**

**To her quarantine meant some contagious disease or plague, one that human beings would have no immunity to. Yet she couldn't help thinking there was more to it than that, the pod was too big merely to contain micro organisms.**

**"You mean we need to get it away from earth," she said.**

**"Or find some other way of neutralising it," he remarked.**

**"But if whatever's aboard is telepathic doesn't that mean some kind of intelligence."**

**She had thought this would earn her a stern look of disapproval but his features actually softened and the lines around his eyes crinkled, "You're getting better at this," he said softly.**

**Sure she thought meet enough autons, axons and sea devils and it comes naturally. But what he said next sent a shockwave of terror through her.**

**"First though I'm going to try and communicate with the pod occupants."**

**Had she heard that right was he serious, why would he do something so dangerous, "But there's no opening."**

**Smiling he tapped his own temple and she got it, the communication would be mental. Rapidly he made some adjustments to the sonic, "I think I know their psionic frequency now," he muttered almost to himself, "About 25 degrees into the delta scale," he offered her the silver wand.**

**"Jo, I want you to hold this very steadily; point it between my eyes and whatever you do don't distract me or become distracted yourself."**

**She had expected the device to be icy cold to the touch but in fact it hummed with warmth and made her skin tingle, "What exactly are you going to do?"**

**His only response was, "Offer them some friendly advice," then sitting down on the floor he crossed his legs in a sort of yoga pose, his eyes drifting shut and head tilting back slightly.**

**Doing her best to follow his advice she heard the sonic give a low musical note which it repeated over and over, quite a catchy tune in a way almost groovy she thought.**

**So her hand didn't shake too much she gripped her right wrist with her left and tried to focus on the Doctor, the last he needed was for her mind to wander but she couldn't help wondering how Penrose was getting on with his captain and how the navy would respond?**

**A sound made her jerk with shock, oh damn had the sonic moved? The noise was a low clunk and it came from the direction of the pod, it was soon followed by another louder clunk then a sharp hiss like the sort made by escaping gas.**

**Through the hiss she could detect a tooth gritting noise like metal being torn by some kind of tool and light jumped from the side of the pod to illuminate the cargo bay with a sinister yellowish glow.**

**Oh god she though, the thing was opening, it did have a door after all.**

**She was about to call the Doctor's name to draw him back to full awareness when he gave a piercing scream, gripped his own temples, screwed his face up in agony and fell sideways to the deck to lie in a tight foetal ball his fists clenched and teeth chattering. Touching him she found his muscles totally locked, they were like stone.**

**Not sure what to do she ran the sonic over his head like he had with her, not knowing if she was using the right frequency or not she thumbed the control pad hearing the pitch go up and down.**

**She was still doing this when something stepped from the pod interior, the first she heard of it was a sharp slapping sound and looking around she made out a limb it was thin and multi-jointed ending in a flat pad rather than a foot.**

**Tan coloured it was covered with spines or stiff hairs and these were all vibrating. A second identical limb followed the same approximate size as the first then a head.**

**Jo had to swallow a cry of panic when she saw it for the face was hideous, elongated and feral looking with slanted frowning eyes rich with malicious intent and three downturned gashes she took to be mouths if the needle-sharp fangs on display were any guide.**

**A pencil thin neck led to rounded shoulders then a somewhat bloated body with a back covered in more of the spines, larger ones this time that seemed to flick back and forth and side to side.**

**The creature hadn't seen her, or at least it wasn't looking in her direction, indeed it seemed momentarily confused even dazed as though awakened from a long sleep.**

**Unwilling to just leave the Doctor Jo continued playing the sonic over him glad its note was now very subdued, lying on her stomach she tried to keep the rest of her body as still as she could.**

**The alien creature didn't seem to be in any hurry to explore its surroundings and remained in the open airlock sucking in air, maybe it needed time to acclimatize she thought and if this was the case it gave her a certain window of time.**

**Good grief it was ugly a sort of giant insect yet with elements of a crustacean, in terms of size it was bigger than a human being maybe about the size of a donkey and although she could only see two limbs she suspected there were more, they seemed to run down the side of the alien like those of a spider or crab.**

**Something closed around her wrist and she would have screamed had not something else clamped her mouth, it was the Doctor's hands he seemed revived at least partially. His face weary and eyes bright but the muscle locking pain seemed to have gone.**

**Scream swallowed Jo flicked her eyes at the alien, giving only a slight nod the Doctor pulled her with him as they slithered out of sight.**

**"Krakens," he said or something like that.**

**"Krakens," she repeated not familiar with the term.**

**"Most definitely," he whispered, "genetically engineered killers, products of the great gene wars fought in this area of space a century ago."**

**She wondered who'd be insane enough to make such a thing, "who won," she asked instead?**

**"Once they realised just how lethal the krakens were the rival races banded together to overcome them."**

**"So what are they doing here," Jo frowned?**

**"Some were destroyed others placed in permanent orbit, these krakens managed to override their flight computer and land here."**

**She shivered, "Now they've managed to beat the airlock."**

**"Oh no I showed them how to do that," the Doctor confessed to her rising horror.**

**"You did, but why," was he insane if these things were so dangerous the last thing he ought to be doing was opening their pod surely?**

**"Jo, the kraken won't be vulnerable for long," they didn't look vulnerable to her.**

**"Vulnerable to what," she demanded still not seeing the logic of his strategy, surely containment made more sense getting this damn pod back into orbit.**

**Looking drained he ran a sleeve over his damp face, the telepathic contact clearly having taken a lot out of him despite his amazing time lord constitution.**

**Taking the sonic back he fixed her with a look she knew only too well it was one of those 'I need you to do exactly as I say and no more questions', sooner or later when things were bad he resorted to it.**

**"Get out of here Jo," he gasped.**

**"I'm not leaving you not in this state," he looked close to collapse.**

**"I'm about to do something absurdly dangerous but I won't put your life at risk."**

**Not liking the sound of this one little bit she felt her stubborn streak coming to the fore, the streak that had got her assigned to UNIT in the first place when she seemed doomed to a life of clerical routine and making the coffee; all her uncle thought she was capable of.**

**"Please Jo," tone sagging with exhaustion he was almost pleading.**

**"Tell me what you're going to do first," his glance was brief barely a flicker but it told her all she needed to know, he was looking at those big doors in the floor that opened to the ocean. **

**She stiffened, "You can't, if this bay floods you'll be drowned."**

**"I'm a time lord Jo I'm not like you humans."**

**Maybe not but surely time lords could drown to, "and the krakens," she asked?**

**"Salt water destroys them, one of their few weaknesses."**

**So that was why he'd helped them open the airlock of their pod; it all made sense now.**

**"You could still be killed."**

**"It's a risk I have to take," he croaked. Jo wondered how long she could hold her own breath, could she survive the nerve numbing cold of the ocean or would the fierce inrush of gallons of sea water be too much.**

**"I work for UNIT too you know," she hadn't signed up for an easy life, "Let me help you."**

**No his eyes blazed just do as I say but she was already easing away from him and sliding towards the keypad, wondering if she could figure out how to operate it.**

**At first furious then resigned he shook his head 'I'll buy you some time' he mimed and tossed her the sonic. One second later he rose to his feet and stepped shakily into the alien's line of sight. **

**It saw him at once and those spindly legs carried it clear of the pod, eight of them she noted and the pot bellied torso ended into a lashing tail, a tail with a scorpion-like stinger on the end.**

**To his credit his tried to move to crawl away but with a swoop that tail had him, wrapping around his velvet dinner jacket like a thick cable and hoisting him into the air. Flipped around several times the Doctor waved his arms and legs but didn't let out a cry of panic; despite his apparent age he was quite used to a rough housing.**

**Knowing she couldn't do anything practical to help she made her way to the keypad, could she get the doors open and if she could what then, wouldn't she be hit by gallons of sea water. Surely she'd drown.**

**What did I just volunteer for she thought as terror knifed through her, talking tough was one thing but following through quite another.**

**She heard the dangling Doctor speaking, he sounded slightly winded but remarkably calm under the circumstances, "I say old chap," he managed to sound almost jovial, "That was quite exhilarating."**

**He dangled there held by that mighty tail as the cruel face of the kraken regarded him as a cat would with a luckless mouse. Jo found herself wondering what the voice of a kraken sounded like but when the Doctor remarked, "who am I," almost indignantly she remembered they were telepathic, it would be all mind to mind.**

**"You know who I am," said a plumy voice, "I'm the chap who opened your airlock," he said with meaning and Jo got the message **_**get on with it we haven't got all day.**_

**Sonic raised she played it over the keypad once, twice, three times and...nothing happened, dismay and fear roiling her stomach she tried again moving the tip closer and trying to wave it about. Come on you stupid thing do something but the thick metal bulkhead doors remained resolutely shut.**

**"Yes of course I know what you are," the Doctor was still chatting away amiably like he'd met an old friend, "You were designed to hunt and kill then thrown cruelly aside, I can relate to that."**

**Not sure what to do Jo waved the sonic again, but she wasn't making any progress and sooner or later she'd be seen; what if a second Kraken emerged what did she do then?**

**The voice made her jump, it was close and pitched low and it wasn't the Doctor, "here, let me."**

**Then there was first officer Penrose, he'd come back sneaking in unseen face still bathed in sweat, "I know the code but the moment I type it in you're going to get hit in the face with gallons of the blue stuff."**

**"You too," she pointed out which was when he turned his back to reveal an oxygen tank with a breathing mask attached, he had come prepared; well he was a sailor.**

**"Best if you made yourself scarce Jo, when these open the cargo bay will seal itself."**

**That was fine but what about the Doctor, "I can't leave him," she said nodding at her dangling friend.**

**"You can't save him either," Penrose pointed out practically and Jo sighed knowing she was no match for the giant 8 legged monstrosity.**

**Go or stay, and if she stayed what could she logically expect to achieve? Penrose was right; he had oxygen and a mask so he had a chance. She'd have none at all.**

**Leaning over she kissed the man they least she could do, "Good luck," and sonic clenched tightly she turned to move away, which was when the Kraken saw her.**

**All three mouths snarling with range it advanced still holding its helpless captive, able to move with astonishing speed despite its bulk. **

**Looking from it to the exit Jo realised she wasn't going to make it even if she ran, the door was yards away through plastic sheeting and the monster would surely catch her long before she reached it.**

**She saw from the Doctor's features that he'd come to the same conclusion, instantly squeezing his eyes shut he concentrated using the only weapon he had his mind.**

**At once the kraken staggered face twisting with pain and mouths uttering an agonized cry as its telepathic gift was turned against it, the tail unfolded and rolling to the floor like a gymnast the Doctor staggered to his feet.**

**"Run," Penrose's voice echoed loudly now and the alien veered towards him. Going to her friend Jo caught him in her arms but having regained his strength it was he who guided her along.**

**"Penrose came back," she said breathlessly but of course he knew that and there was no time for a debate anyway. As they reached the exit she looked back to see to her horror that the kraken had Penrose in its grip stinger poised, but he'd already inputted his code and the mighty doors were creaking and clanging, a spray of sea water gushing into the air.**

**When this struck the alien it le tout an agonized shriek as though hit by acid and Jo smelled burning flesh, saw the hard carapace turn first black then red as flesh peeled away in strips. Then she was guided outside just before the door slammed and locked itself.**

**They both leaned against a wall fighting for breath, she gulping in great lungfuls of air, he sighing with relief at his narrow escape.**

**"Will it destroy them," she gasped, "The sea water?"**

**He nodded, "Hopefully Jo, hopefully," he led her away and she could feel his arm trembling slightly despite his outwardly confident demeanour. **


End file.
